It has been a while since I posted, but the idea of living in a cargo container(s) has been scrapped. After much research about cost of materials, transporting containers, insulation, toxicity, etc. it just doesn't make much sense to build with containers. The things that attracted me to them was the steel structure for earthquake protection, fire protection, security and modularity. But the cons just outweighed the pros and so back to concentrating on cob and other natural materials. We have now been in Portland, Oregon for just over two years and are very confident the Pacific Northwest will be our home.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Links
A collection of links to others who have done a conversion and documented it.
http://seacontainercabin.blogspot.com
http://www.tincancabin.com
http://www.residentialshippingcontainerprimer.com
http://www.containerhomes.net
http://seacontainercabin.blogspot.com
http://www.tincancabin.com
http://www.residentialshippingcontainerprimer.com
http://www.containerhomes.net
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Cargo container specifications and design
My scratch pad for elements of design to incorporate into the cargo containers. Work in progress.
1. Complete modularity with all components able to be broken down and stored into cargo containers for shipping.
2. Fire sprinklers
3. Double roof (like this lloyd-russell ranch house.) Would be very cool to make it retractable as well. Although I am now leaning towards an enclosed courtyard, similar to Adam Kalkin's 12 container home.
But I will use the cargo containers as the structure and only construct a roof and then close in the open areas with a combination of glass and steel. Something similar to his 'quik house' here.
This is what I am thinking of, with 4 - 40' containers and a roof covering the entire structure, so there is a large courtyard area for the common area or living room etc. One of the lower containers will be storage for tools, etc. and the other will be utility and laundry. Both will have a half bath or powder room, I'm figuring stereo-typically the men's in the garage container and the women's in the laundry. One upper unit will be the master bedroom with master bath and the other unit will be the second bedroom also with bath. The kitchen will be built on the first level below one of the upper units, that way the dining area will just naturally extend out into the courtyard. I am imagining a large island on wheels.
This took me about 10 minutes to create in SketchUp, but I downloaded the cargo container template so I didn't have to create that element. It is going to take me substantially longer to learn how to build elements that I can't download. I'm also positive that there will be several design changes once I have things created in 3D...my first concept looked good on paper where I sketched it no where near to scale, but once in 3D to scale it was obvious it was not going to be as practical.
Random Stuff
I absolutely hate chainlink fencing. I have never found it to be nothing but ugly and ill-fitting. That is until now. Thanks to Keith Dewey and his use of it inside and out of his container home, domestique.
This is just one way he used it, there are also pics of outside railings. Not sure why I love these elements but hate it elsewhere...maybe because like wood paneling, it depends on how you use it.
1. Complete modularity with all components able to be broken down and stored into cargo containers for shipping.
2. Fire sprinklers
3. Double roof (like this lloyd-russell ranch house.) Would be very cool to make it retractable as well. Although I am now leaning towards an enclosed courtyard, similar to Adam Kalkin's 12 container home.
But I will use the cargo containers as the structure and only construct a roof and then close in the open areas with a combination of glass and steel. Something similar to his 'quik house' here.
This is what I am thinking of, with 4 - 40' containers and a roof covering the entire structure, so there is a large courtyard area for the common area or living room etc. One of the lower containers will be storage for tools, etc. and the other will be utility and laundry. Both will have a half bath or powder room, I'm figuring stereo-typically the men's in the garage container and the women's in the laundry. One upper unit will be the master bedroom with master bath and the other unit will be the second bedroom also with bath. The kitchen will be built on the first level below one of the upper units, that way the dining area will just naturally extend out into the courtyard. I am imagining a large island on wheels.
This took me about 10 minutes to create in SketchUp, but I downloaded the cargo container template so I didn't have to create that element. It is going to take me substantially longer to learn how to build elements that I can't download. I'm also positive that there will be several design changes once I have things created in 3D...my first concept looked good on paper where I sketched it no where near to scale, but once in 3D to scale it was obvious it was not going to be as practical.
Random Stuff
I absolutely hate chainlink fencing. I have never found it to be nothing but ugly and ill-fitting. That is until now. Thanks to Keith Dewey and his use of it inside and out of his container home, domestique.
This is just one way he used it, there are also pics of outside railings. Not sure why I love these elements but hate it elsewhere...maybe because like wood paneling, it depends on how you use it.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Hugelkultur
I want to try this in the desert of El Paso, seems to make more sense than in the rainy NorthWest.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Permeable patios and driveways
I was just at a building that used cinder blocks turned on their sides and the holes filled with a gravel. Very attractive and earth friendly. Just posting the picture here for future reference.
Source: Me
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